A widely used technique typically performs automatic identification wirelessly and in a noncontact manner using RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tags provided for labels applied to various goods. Each tag has an IC chip that records various information therein and a communication antenna that is connected to the IC chip.
As shown in FIG. 7, as an example of such label applicators capable of applying a label L provided with an RFID tag T to an item, there is conventionally known a technique that has been proposed by the Applicant (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT) No. 2008-535741, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 7,703,685 (B2)).
This label applicator applies the label L to an item W by forming a flexed portion M by folding a section 2 of the label L including a tag providing portion 1 at which the RFID tag T is provided so as to project into an angled shape with a back surface facing inside and a front surface facing outside. The flexed portion M is provided with one side surface 3 and another side surface 4 and having curved portions 7 on a base end side with a peak portion 6 as a border between the one side surface 3 and the other side surface 4.
The label applicator is provided with a suction-holding plate 100 that applies suction to and holds the front surface of the label L. The plate includes a pair of divided bodies 100a and 100b. The divided bodies 100a and 100b move relative to each other between two positions: a contact position S at which end surfaces of the divided bodies 100a and 100b that face toward each other are brought into contact, and a separated position V (broken line in FIG. 7) at which the end surfaces are positioned apart from each other. First, the label L is suctioned and held in a state in which the divided bodies 100a and 100b of the suction-holding plate 100 are positioned at the contact position S. Next, the divided bodies 100a and 100b of the suction-holding plate 100 are moved to the separated position V in a state while the label L is being suctioned and held. Then, the divided bodies 100a and 100b of the suction-holding plate 100 are moved back to the contact position S to produce the flexed portion M by folding of the section 2 of the label L into the angled shape with the back surface facing inside. The suction-holding plate 100 is moved while in this state, so that the label L is applied to the item W.
In the label L applied using the conventional label applicator, the flexed portion M of the label is provided upright, such that the entire back surfaces of the one side surface 3 and the other side surface 4 of the section 2 of the label L that constitute the flexed portion M are adhered. They often fall flat at the curved portions 7 depending on their environment in transportation or in a storage area of an item on which the label has been applied. A problem with leaving the label fallen flat is that often reduces capabilities of wireless reading and writing between the RFID tag T and a reader/writer.